Racing rigging

oldbilbo

oldbilbo

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I'm intrigued by the developments in rigging 'tricks' used by modern racers - often French - on their Open 60s..... and I believe many of these ideas originate in the smaller development classes such as Le Figaro and Mini 650....

F'r zample, I'm familiar with the basic concept of barber haulers to adjust a jib sheet lead, and have used the idea on occasion, but I reckon there's much, much more to it now.

Look at this pic from the Vendee Open 60 'Initiatives-Coeur' and the use of barbers - stainless rings rather than small sheave-blocks.....


barbers.jpg


I can make out some of the detail - there's a double ring there, in tandem using red cord, probably to reduce the sharp angle of using just one, and what amounts to a two-part purchase - but there is more further forward that's obscure.

How's about one or other of our racing specialists doing a pic-essay on some of those more advanced ideas for us? Or even one of the far-travelled IPC journos....? :)
 
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It would be interesting to see other pictures. I'm struggling to work out just what those two lines that are being hauled are for. Generally you use them to adjust the sheet leads on headsails and spinnakers, but since the headsail sheet can be seen simply going down to a car and back aft it's clearly something else.
 
It's hard to see on that photo, but most modern race boats are switching to a floating jib car lead, which permits manipulation of the lead in three dimensions. Forward, aft. In, out. Up, down.

The lead itself is typically an Antal low-friction ring.
 
bbg said:
It's hard to see on that photo, but most modern race boats are switching to a floating jib car lead, which permits manipulation of the lead in three dimensions. Forward, aft. In, out. Up, down.

The lead itself is typically an Antal low-friction ring.
Click to expand...

"....a floating jib car lead, which permits manipulation of the lead in three dimensions....."

I can picture some of that. There seems to be something of that sort 'unclear' in the above shot ( two small points of reflection above the jib car ) but I'm finding it hard to visualise what the arrangement is on the Vendee boat(s). However, any pics of your own? ;)
 
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oldbilbo said:
"....a floating jib car lead, which permits manipulation of the lead in three dimensions....."

I can picture some of that. There seems to be something of that sort 'unclear' in the above shot ( two small points of reflection above the jib car ) but I'm finding it hard to visualise what the arrangement is on the Vendee boat(s). However, any pics of your own? ;)
Click to expand...

I didn't use a floating car system, unfortunately. Didn't have the time / money to switch from the track. But I've got some pictures somewhere of the same type of boat as mine that did have it installed - to use as a reference in case I ever did get round to it. I'll see if I can dig them up and post them.

In the meantime, here are the most popular low-friction rings. Some minis do not use any (or very few) traditional blocks (except mast sheaves for the halyards and blocks for the main sheet), using these instead. These are lighter, stronger and cheaper (for the same load) but they do have a bit more friction. That can be overcome to a degree by using Dyneema without a cover for some applications, because that is very slippery.
 
The trad open 60 rig doesn't have a permanent vang, so a vang/preventer to the gunwale is used instead. Looks like that's what you're seeing in the photo. It looks to me as well that it's attached to the rail using a dogbone - shackles are old school.

Jib tracks are also on the way out. Low friction rings controlled by a couple of lines to the deck. What's old is new again.
 
It's taken me a while to find a photo, but here is one.

P1040149_zps7e8c22e9.jpg


As far as I can see ...

The metal ring just aft of the window is the jib sheet lead. The green with yellow flecks is the jib sheet.

The blue line running from the ring to a block on the coachroof and then aft to the cam cleat is the inhaul.

The thin black line going to the gunwale seems to be the outhaul. It runs to a block that can be snapped onto the ring or removed, if not necessary.

There is a blue line running from the metal ring down through a block which is attached to the track and forward to a block on the deck, then back to the same cam cleat on the coachroof. This line allows the ring (jib sheet lead) to float upward, or pull it to pull the lead down.

It seems that the block on the track can be moved forward to the other track for times when the jib is reefed (most of these boats use slab reefing in the jibs).

It looks to me like the car on the track does not have any pins or any system to control the car inboard or outboard. It looks like it just adjusts automatically based on the the use of the inhaul/outhaul.

Hope that sheds some light on the idea of floating jib car leads.
 
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